Fountain-scrubber



No. 62!,936. Patented-Mar. 28, I899.

F. W. NEVIUS" FOUNTAIN SCRUBBEB.

(Appliction filed May 18, 1898.\

(No'ModeL) witmowo m: NORRIS PETERS ca, PHDTO-LIIHO wgsnmumn. n. c.

UNTTED STATES FRAZIER W. NEVIUS, OF FORT MADISON, IOIVA.

FOUNTAlN-SCRUBBER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 621,936, dated March28, 1899.

Application filed May 18, 1898. Serial No; 681,054. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRAZIER W.- NEVIUS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inFo'untain-Scrubbers; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fountain-scrubbers; and theobject is to simplify and improve the construction, and thereby providean effective device of this character for not only scrubbing the floor,but also to provide a means for taking up and removing the soiled waterfrom the floor in a simple, effective, and expeditious manner.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, andarrangement of the several parts of the device, as will be hereinaftermore fully described,and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now knownto me; but many changes in the details might be made within the skill ofa good mechanic without departingfrom the spirit of my invention as setset forth in the claim at the end of this specification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fountain-scrubber. Fig. 2is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view showingthe device in use as a take-up for removing the water from the floor.Fig. 4 is a similar View showing another form of the fountain-case.

1 denotes the approximately cylindrical fountain-case, closed at bothends 2 3, and 4: denotes the open-ended tapering handlesocket, in whicha handle (not shown) is detachably secured. The opposite Walls of thecasing terminate on one side in longitudinal parallel flanges 5 and 6,separated a sufficient distance to receive the flexible scrubber-strips7 7 and the intermediate supporting-bar S, the whole being firmlysecured between the said flanges by the securing-nails 9 9, which extendthrough said flanges 5 and 6, the rubher or other similar elastic orflexible strips 7 7,-and the bar 8. It will be seen that the outer ends10 10 of the rubber strips project beyond the end walls 2 3 of thefountain 1 to act as guards or protectors for the device to prevent themetal fountain from coming into contact with and defacing the paintedwork or furniture in a room.

12 denotes a similar longitudinal flange formed on the opposite side ofthe fountaincase and at approximately a right angle to the flanges 5and'6, and its outer endis turned inwardly and rearwardly parallel withthe body portion to form the reinforcing-head 13. Another longitudinalflange 14 is formed on the opposite wall parallel with and having itsbody portion extending at a right angle to the flange 12, and its freeend is turned under to form the reinforcing-head 15.

16 represents a longitudinal flexible rubber strip, which is encompassedalong its inner edge by the longitudinal guide-shoe 17,formed with theparallel walls 18 19, the outer end or edge of the wall 18 being formedwith the reinforcing-head 20 and the outer end of the wall 19 with acylindrical head 21, which encompasses the stay or brace rod 22 andwhich extends a short distance in advance of the opposite head 20 toform a fixed fulcrum or backing for the rubber strip 16 to hold its freeend with considerable pressure against the edge of the flange 14: andnormally re= tain the water in the fountain-case.

a a denote a series of small orifices in the fountain case arrangedparallel with the scrubber-strips, so that when the cylinder or case isdipped in the scrub water it fills through the orifice 23 in the end ofthe case, and when the two rubber scrapers 7 7 are placed on the floorthe water feeds out through these small orifices a a just above therubbers and furnishes the Water to the scrapers, thus distributing thewater as the scrapers do the scrubbing. The socket or thimble isstrengthened by a suitable collar-brace b, as shown. It will also benoted that the free edge of the take-up rubber 16 projects a shortdistance beyond the outer face of the flange, so as to come in contactwith the surface of the floor without the flange itself touching thefloor, and, as shown in Fig. 3, when the rubber 16 is in contact withthe floor and a sufficient pressure applied and the device ICO carriedforward in the direction of the horizontal arrow the rubber bends awayfrom the flange 14.- and also acts as a barrier or dam for the water towall up against, and consequently its inertia carries the water overinto the fountain-case, and when the forward pressure is removed fromthe rubber it automatically springs backward against the edge of theflange ll with a valve-like action and seals the water in the case,which may then be discharged through the outletorifice 23 in the end 3.By repeating this operation over the same surface a few times the entireamount of surplus water may be removed and the floor left comparativelydry.

Bl A denote the rivets which secure the guide-shoe 17 and strip 16 inplace.

I have shown the fountain-case as approximately cylindrical in Figs. 1,2, and 3 and rectangular in cross-section in Fig. t; but I do not desireto confine myself to either conformation, as it is evident that a hollowcase of almost any shape will answer the purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

A fountain rubber and take-up combined, consisting of the casing formedwith the flanges 12 and M arranged at right angles to each other and theparallel flanges 5 and 0 arranged at a right angle to said flange 12,the guide-shoe 17 fixed to the flange'l2, the rubber strip 16 fixed insaid shoe and having its free end normally abutting against said flange14, and the rubber strips 7 7 fixed between the flanges 5 O,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRAZIER IV. NEVIUS.

Vitn esses:

II. II. WELLS, W. F. LA FoLLn'rTE.

